Self-Created Soul Skill 'Coil', Meng Shenji's Trial!

"It's fine."

"Th-then... could I, could I..."

Ye Lingling wanted to say something, but in the end, she still could not get the words out. She reached out and tugged at the corner of Qin Qi's clothes.

Her large eyes were filled with a plea for help.

"Lingling wants to say that it's okay. She's very happy to be friends with you, and if possible, she hopes you'll keep playing with her in the future."

Qin Qi understood what Ye Lingling meant and spoke up.

"Mhm, mhm, mhm."

Ye Lingling's little head bobbed up and down repeatedly, her eyes filled with anticipation as she looked at Dugu Yan.

"I'll keep working hard. I'll become a better, more qualified friend."

Dugu Yan reached out and took Ye Lingling's hand, tears of joy welling up uncontrollably in her eyes.

The two of them hugged, looking as close as could be.

"How did you do it, Qin Qi? How did you get Lingling and Dugu Yan to become friends?"

Xue Beng leaned close to Qin Qi and asked in a low voice.

"I didn't do anything. I just thought that putting together two people with such awkward personalities might produce a different reaction."

Qin Qi had indeed done nothing. He had merely put the right people in the right places.

He had done nothing else.

"You... so when you said three days before, were you just bluffing me?"

Xue Beng thought it over carefully. Had he been fooled?

"But didn't I solve the problem within three days?"

Qin Qi asked with a smile.

"That's true, but... I feel like something's off."

Xue Beng scratched his head. Qin Qi had talked him in circles, and he could not quite make sense of it.

If he had been fooled, then the problem had been solved. If he had not been fooled, then this had only worked through luck.

Xue Beng truly could not figure out whether he had been fooled or not.

"Um, I think I may have misunderstood you before. Sorry about that."

After Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling finished hugging, she turned to look at Qin Qi. Her opinion of him had changed.

He was no longer a bad person who bullied Ye Lingling, but a very considerate, gentlemanly man.

"I always thought you were all spoiled rich kids. I'm really sorry. If it's alright, can we be friends?"

Dugu Yan asked tentatively.

"Actually, you wouldn't be wrong to call us spoiled rich kids. The three of us are known as the Slacker Trio."

"I'm in charge of being handsome, Xue Beng is a genuine spoiled rich kid, and Lingling is socially anxious. The three of us spend all day doing nothing but loafing around."

"If you don't mind that, then join us and loaf around together."

Qin Qi said with a smile.

"Pah, shameless bastard. Don't listen to him. He's just a glutton who eats more than a pig every day."

Xue Beng immediately retorted, then brushed back his hair. "If we're talking handsome, I'm the handsome one."

"Pfft."

Looking at these people, Dugu Yan still found them rather strange, but being friends with them might actually be pretty fun.

"Oh, right. We actually have one more person. That guy's called Yu Tianheng, from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."

"But he's a battle maniac. He stays in the Soul Fighting Arena all day, and he won't even come when we invite him for tea."

Qin Qi said.

"You people really are strange."

Dugu Yan said bluntly.

"Not you people. Us."

Qin Qi poured Dugu Yan a cup of tea as he spoke.

"Screw you."

Dugu Yan lightly punched Qin Qi, but a smile appeared on her face. In this academy, they really were all strange people.

In the blink of an eye, a month passed. Based on what he had learned in the Royal Library, Qin Qi had developed a combat system.

"Bind!"

Qin Qi condensed soul power around his fist and threw a punch. The power of his fist became even stronger.

"Big Brother, attack me."

Qin Qi looked at Qin Ming beside him and spoke.

"Alright."

Qin Ming nodded and controlled his strength as he launched an attack at Qin Qi. Before the attack could land on him, a layer of soul power covered Qin Qi's body, blocking the attack.

"Condense soul power around your fists and legs to increase attack power. Wrap it around your body to increase defense."

"It could be considered an auxiliary enchantment-type soul skill."

The soul skills Qin Qi developed all relied on his own force system, with the core principle of maximizing numerical values!

"Not bad."

"But you need to prepare for what comes next. The three instructors said they wanted to see how your training has been going."

"They may test you on a few things, so you should be mentally prepared."

Qin Ming nodded. This level of technique did not quite count as a self-created soul skill, but it was still a refined application of soul power.

It would be very helpful in improving actual combat ability.

"Alright."

Qin Qi nodded, went to take a bath, changed into a splendid set of clothes, and then prepared to meet the instructors.

"This is only a private meeting. There's no need to dress so formally."

Qin Ming watched Qin Qi dress himself up so seriously. He fell silent for a moment before speaking.

"They're elders, after all. We can't neglect courtesy."

Qin Qi smiled, then carefully adjusted his collar again to ensure it was perfect.

Qin Ming caught the scent of perfume on Qin Qi and was truly speechless. He wondered whether his little brother had been spending too much time around Xue Beng.

How had he even learned to wear perfume now?

Qin Ming pondered this matter inwardly as he led Qin Qi to meet the three instructors.

This time, it was not a formal occasion, but a private meeting in a pavilion in the rear garden.

"Greetings, three instructors."

Qin Ming placed one hand over his chest in salute as he spoke.

"Hello, Grandpa Meng, Grandpa Bai, Grandpa Zhi."

Qin Qi also bowed, then spoke with the pure smile unique to children.

"Good, good. Little Qin Qi has grown quite a bit in a year."

"Come, sit."

Meng Shenji stroked his beard. He was quite pleased with how Qin Qi addressed them. He knew when to be formal, and when to draw closer. If one remained polite and distant all the time, that would be no good instead.

"No, with the three teachers here, how could this student sit down? That would be far too disrespectful."

Qin Ming spoke with a solemn expression.

"Thank you, Grandpa Meng."

As he spoke, Qin Qi directly found a stool and sat down.

"Qin Ming, you're just too serious. There are only a few of us here, so there's no need to be so restrained."

"You should learn from little Qin Qi in this regard."

Bai Baoshan took out some pastries and handed them to Qin Qi, a doting smile appearing on his chubby face.

Meng Shenji valued Qin Ming's serious personality, but Bai Baoshan favored Qin Qi.

"Thank you, Grandpa Bai."

Qin Qi did not stand on ceremony at all. He took the pastries and began eating, while also pulling out some of his own snacks from his pocket to share with Bai Baoshan.

"How can Qin Qi eat so casually? That's far too impolite!"

Qin Ming frowned as he spoke.

"It's fine, it's fine. Eating more is a good thing. Only by eating more can you grow up faster and become stronger."

Bai Baoshan patted his big belly. He had loved eating when he was young, and he was still the same now.

He believed that being able to eat was a blessing, and he liked Qin Qi's natural personality.

"Sigh."

Qin Ming sighed, but there was a hint of relief in his eyes. He was happy that his younger brother had earned the favor of the three teachers.

"Three teachers, we have already prepared for the test mentioned before. We can begin now."

Qin Ming spoke.